Risk factors for spontaneous preterm birth in a Saudi population.

Preterm birth (<37 weeks completed gestation), the primary predictor of infant morbidity and mortality, can result from diverse biologic and sociodemographic variables.

A case-control study was undertaken to determine risk factors that were significantly associated with preterm birth in our population.

Pertinent data were collected by structured interviews with eligible subjects and by medical record abstraction.

The study population consisted of 118 mothers of singleton, preterm, appropriate for gestational age infants (cases) and 118 mothers of singleton, term, appropriate for gestational age infants (controls).